Fecal Incontinence

Our Approach

At Franciscan Health, our fecal incontinence treatments address the cause of your symptoms. Your doctor may recommend:

• Dietary changes, such as increasing fiber intake or drinking more water
• Exercises, including Kegel exercises
• Medications to treat diarrhea or constipation or decrease bowel motion
• Biofeedback (a type of behavioral therapy that retrains your muscles to control bowel function)
• Surgery to correct or reduce fecal incontinence

How is fecal incontinence diagnosed?

To diagnose fecal incontinence, your doctor will do a physical examination. This exam may include a digital rectal exam. Other testing options include ultrasound and sigmoidoscopy (inspects the last section of the colon with a flexible, lighted tube).

What is fecal incontinence?

Fecal incontinence (bowel incontinence) involves the unintentional loss of solid or liquid stool. Loss of anal sphincter control leads to unwanted or untimely release of feces or gas. As a result, you may not make it to the toilet in time, resulting in soiled garments.

Most adults will experience occasional fecal incontinence due to diarrhea. But for some, the condition is ongoing (chronic). Fecal incontinence is also more common in women than men, affecting as many as one in 10 women age 40 and older.

Fecal incontinence causes

Causes of fecal incontinence include:

• Hemorrhoids
• Infection
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Muscle damage from childbirth
• Nerve damage
• Overuse of laxatives
• Rectal prolapse (when the last part of the large intestine disconnects from inside the body and slips out the anus)

Poop accidents can also occur as a side effect of constipation in children and adults. If left untreated, this problem can lead to fecal incontinence. If you or your potty-trained child has poop accidents, talk to your doctor and follow up if things continue or get worse.